The Elements of Innovation Discovered

Articles from the March 1, 2023 edition


Sorted by date  Results 1 - 9 of 9

  • A Tesla 4860 lithium-ion battery with a backdrop of brightly colored swirls.

    Tesla makes graphite deal with Magnis

    K. Warner, For Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 3, 2024

    Australia-based Magnis Energy Solutions has signed an agreement with Tesla for North American anode active material (AAM) production. This offtake agreement outlines Tesla's purchase of a substantial part of the output produced at the company's planned U.S.-based facility moving forward. Magnis is a battery tech and materials company focused on scalable lithium-ion battery manufacturing and is positioning itself to join the only graphite industry supply chain outside of China...

  • MGA Thermal CEO and CTO measure graphite-aluminum thermal energy storage blocks.

    Shell funds MGA Thermal storage plant

    K. Warner, For Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 3, 2024

    Green energy startup MGA Thermal and its long-duration energy storage solution rose above a field of dozens of quality applicants to win a $400,000 grant from Shell GameChanger, an initiative sponsored by the global energy giant to support startups and businesses on unproven early-stage ideas that have the potential to impact the future of energy. "I am excited that Shell can support MGA Thermal's pilot project and their ambitions to enable the storage of renewable energy. We...

  • Li-Cycle employee sorting through power tool battery packs for recycling.

    Li-Cycle on deck for a $375M DOE loan

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 3, 2024

    Keeping with its goal to support companies' endeavoring to establish a domestic battery materials supply chain for electric vehicles and associated technologies that will require the same minerals and metals, the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program has conditionally committed to loaning Li-Cycle $375 million to expand its recycling efforts in the United States. As an industry leader in lithium-ion battery recovery and the...

  • Veracio technician operating a TruScan system for mining exploration.

    Boart Longyear creates new geo data firm

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 3, 2024

    As the demand for critical metals continues to rise, the need for efficient and accurate mineral exploration has never been greater. With the mining industry facing ever-increasing pressure to reduce the time from discovery to mineral extraction, Boart Longyear Group Ltd., a company well-known for its mineral exploration expertise, has repackaged its award-winning geological data services into a standalone entity – Veracio. Established over 130 years ago, Boart Longyear has w...

  • Perovskite solar panels with cutouts showing layers of materials in the cells.

    Next-gen solar material breakthrough

    K. Warner, For Metal Tech News|Updated Jun 8, 2023

    Over the last two decades, perovskite crystal lattices have been held as extremely promising materials in photovoltaic and light-emitting devices. This family of minerals exhibits unique electrical properties currently being utilized in solar cells. A Penn State-led team has created a faster, more cost-effective process to fabricate larger perovskite devices than previously possible. Their reported findings were published in the journal Nature Communications and have opened a...

  • Silhouette of two underground miners collecting data from a mine face.

    FaceCapture tech coming to Hecla mines

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jun 8, 2023

    It is not miner's faces that will be recognized by the new technology being deployed by Hecla Mining Company. Instead, Mine Vision Systems' FaceCapture system will be used to map the mine face at two of the company's underground operations in North America. First introduced at the MINExpo 2021, MVS's FaceCapture technology quickly and accurately captures detailed and dense images of underground mine faces that are georeferenced to laser-based surveys to generate reliable 3D...

  • Female industrial worker with hard hat, safety equipment, and electronic tablet.

    Komatsu, Cummins integrate data systems

    K. Warner, For Metal Tech News|Updated Jun 8, 2023

    American motor and power tech leader Cummins and Japanese construction and mining equipment brand Komatsu are continuing their history of innovative collaboration with a streamlined remote monitoring system that can accurately predict mining equipment maintenance needs. Together, these companies share a drive towards carbon neutrality as well as a long history in the global mining space and strong technical capabilities ideal for co-developing better solutions to the industry'...

  • Volvo’s lineup in the battery-electric vehicle industry’s heavy trucks.

    Out in front: Volvo heads electrification

    K. Warner, For Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2023

    Since starting electric heavy truck production in 2019, Volvo has swiftly become a leader in the market with a running tally of 4,300 vehicles on the road in over 38 countries, including nearly half of all heavy electric trucks registered in North America last year. Additionally, the demand for zero-emission trucks over 16 tons has increased by 200% in Europe just in the last year, and Volvo Trucks holds the highest share of that market. Volvo currently offers the... Full story

  • Sandia lab technician shines light on 3D printer during superalloy printing.

    Sandia scientists 3D print new superalloy

    Rose Ragsdale, For Metal Tech News|Updated Feb 28, 2023

    In the emerging field of additive manufacturing, researchers from Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N. M., have developed a material that could significantly reduce carbon emissions from electricity-generating power plants. The Sandia scientists, collaborating with researchers at Ames National Laboratory, Iowa State University, and Bruker Corp., used metal 3D printing, also called additive manufacturing, to create a high-performance metal alloy, or superalloy, with... Full story